ATXBonds Help Center / Bail / What is Bail vs a Bond?

What is Bail vs a Bond?

These two words are very similar, but they are not the same. Bail is the amount of money that is set by a judge that an arrestee needs to pay to get released from jail. A bond is the provisional release of a defendant with the promise to come back to all of their court dates. 

If a bail has been set at $1000, a person can post a cash bond and pay the whole amount to get released. If they can’t afford to pay that amount, they have the option to pay a minimum of 10% of the bail to a bail bondsman and post a surety bond. And if they qualify, they have the option to post a personal bond and get released for free.